About Lake Lanier

About Lake Lanier

The Lake Lanier area is a very desirable place to live, as evidenced by its growth and the consistently rising prices of its real estate. If you’re considering buying a lake home or lot there will never be a better time than the present.

Quick Facts

aboutlakelaneir♦ Prices for lake homes range from $300,000 to over $20,000,000. Lake lots range from $150,000 to over $1,000,000.
♦ Construction on Lake Lanier began in 1953; 38,000 acres; 692 miles of shoreline; over 7000 homes with private boat docks; 10 marinas; 49 parks.
♦ At 1071 ft. above sea level, Lake Lanier is at full pool.
♦ The Lake is run by the Corp of Engineers and is visited by over 7,000,000 people annually.
♦ The “Lake Area” takes in five counties, Hall, Forsyth, Dawson, Lumpkin and Gwinnettt.
♦ Most of the lake homes are in Hall and Forsyth Counties.
♦ The Gainesville/Hall County area has a population of over 174,000.
♦ Living on Lake Lanier puts you within minutes of the Atlanta Metro area and all of its conveniences including shopping, Hartsfield International Airport, professional sports and fine restaurants.

General Information

Nestled in the foothills of the Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains lies Lake Sidney Lanier, one of America’s favorite lakes. Over 7.5 million people a year choose to visit Lanier. With over 692 miles of shoreline, the lake is well known for its aqua-blue colored water, spectacular scenery and variety of recreational activities. Constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1950’s, Lake Lanier is a multi-purpose lake that provides for flood protection, power production, water supply, navigation, recreation and fish and wildlife management.

Lake Lanier is one of 464 lakes in 43 states constructed and operated by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. It has won the best operated lake of the year award in 1990, 1997 and 2002. Lake Sidney Lanier is well known for its recreational opportunities. The Corps operates 46 park areas around the lake providing, picnicking, campgrounds, boat launching ramps, swimming areas, group picnic shelters and hiking trails.

Additional areas have been leased from the Corps and are operated as city and county parks as well as marinas. With over 692 miles of shoreline and over 100 small islands Lake Lanier is the perfect place to pursue your recreational adventure.

Whether it is fishing, camping, boating, picnicking, swimming or a variety of other recreation activities, Lake Lanier has it all.

Corp of Engineers Info

Q. What is the deepest part of Lake Lanier?

A. The deepest part of the lake is located on the north side of Buford Dam in the original river channel at elevation 911 feet above mean sea level. When the lake is at its full level (1071msl) the lake at this point is 160 feet in depth.

Q. What is the record high lake level?

A. The record high was in April of 1964 when the lake reached elevation 1077.2 msl which was approximately 6 feet above its full level.

Q. What is the record low lake level?

A. The record low occurred in December of 2007 when the lake fell to elevation 1050.79 msl which was approximately 21 feet below its full level.

Q. Is there a town under Lake Lanier?

A. No, when land for constructing the lake was acquired in the early 1950s the area was mostly farmland. The government purchased land from about 700 families over a 56,000 acre area. The majority of the buildings that were removed or demolished were farmhouses and outbuildings such as barns.

Q. How high is the dam?

A. The main dam is 192 feet high and 2,360 feet long. It was built of raw earth instead of concrete to keep costs low.

Useful Links

♦ Corp of Engineers »

♦ Lake Lanier Islands »

♦ Lake Lanier Fishing Guide »

♦ Access North Georgia (local info and news) »

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